The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-17
THOSE SILENT BANNERS.
THE PRESIDENT REVOKES GEN.
DRUMS ORDER. =


to take legal sps to enjoin al b such\,r-
render if it is Contemplated. H. Larrabee
telegraphed the Itesident an emphatic pro-
test, oni he il take legal steps, t neees-
following was sent last night b. sov. Lar
rabee: ~
GSysSsoF G%ss5 Ery q NJ ne E
against the proposed return to the fth of -
Wo8 flags captT by the Union y ops during
theyrebe!sl92n,s I add to this the SsIuest ah
3 rfst Se qf TetS tS M Myiyng S ssv gnoR in nIo 2gs
OF S"e people of the state, ard shalls sieem il
NECESSARY to use aaproper endeavors toShrevent
such return Of thsa2ttle flags captured by the
Iowa troops.% WILLIAM LARRABEE
GRovEREETTLEs THE mATTER>
WAsHIw3roNa Inne 16.-The following
letter was sent j the Secretary of War bS,
the President to-day in regard to the disS'
dositi0Y of the tt9s captured by the Union
fWces Earring thXlate war: ,"
have to-day considered withsnore,care than
when the subject was orally presented TO me-
the action of your department. directing letters
TO be addressed to the Governors of all the
States offering 90 return to the loyal States the
Union flags captured during the war of the re-
bellion by the Confederate forces and after
wards recovered by the Government troops,
and to the Confederate States the flags captured
by the Union forces all of which, for many
years, have been packed in boxes and stored In
the cellar of the War Department am of the
opinion that the return of the flags Is not
authorized by the existing law, nor justified as
an executive act request, therefore. that no
further steps he taken in the matter, except to
examine and inventory these flags, and that
proper care be taken for their preservation.
Yours truly, GROVER CLEVELAND.
THE PRESIDENTS VIEW.
The following statement with regard to
the Presidents action concerning the pro
posed return of the battle flags was made at
the White House tonight to a reporter of
the Associated Fress: "When the question
was r'RpoSed to the President by the Adju-
tar' Sneral ~ important feature suggested
was 2 return the loyal States Of the
flags which had be- captured bS 'ho CT
.federates and retail b hS our aTNy at -,
7 ne of tle collapseNf the rebellioN They,
18th such. Confederate flags ashaI en cap
Snred fr the eheI.y bxfor.' troops, had, Z
weS rep. bt9fed, 70. a long time lain rncared
f6Npnd n-s{ {ctedi,--packed away in aoxs, in
theNellar ofthe War Department, md had
(been remover to the attic as a ostter place
for their -.af Nsynpg. The disposition of
these angs, bicfAeem6N = be answering
no goodSurpose where theySwere, was tie
main point: and the consideration
was presented to Ape President that
some flags had beEl returned~-ro the
loyal States upon their request in individual
cases, and the rest, il desired eight as well
all be returned together. The rehlrn of the
CO rederate flags, which were with the
others in the GepartmeN, was suggested,
but the was not the slightest thought of
interfering with the captured flags now held
by the States The right of the department
- make these returns being questioned by
the President, such right was distinctly
asserted and precedents alleged, and there
upon his oral assent was given to the pro-
posed action The matter was dismissed
from his mind until the comment thereupon
within the last day or two brought it again
to his attention, when upon personally
examining the law and considering the sub
ject more carefully, he satisfied himself that
no disposition Of these flags could be made
without Congressional action, whereupon
he directed the suspension of operations by
the letter made public this evening"
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.
At the request of Gov. Foraker, Of Ohio,
that counsel should be retained to institute
legal proceedings to ohioin the return of the
Confederate flags to the Governors of the
Southern States, Gen H. V. Boynton to-day
selected Samuel Shellabarger, of Ohio, and
George S. Boutwell,. of Massachu-
setts, TO take charge Of the case
These gentlemen expected TO have
an application for mandamus
filed in the Supreme Court Of the District
at o'clock this afternoon, but were de-
lay ed by the non-receipt of the necessary
telegram from Ohio. The papers were based
upon the claim that the Secretary of War
was about TO dispose of the public property
without the authority Of law. The letter OF
the President made further action by the
attorneys Unnecessary
THE G. A. II. IN ARMS.
At the reception TO Gen. Fairchild, Com
mander-i Chief Of the Grand Army of the
Republic in New York, last night rendered
by the Alexander Hamilton Post, Gen, Fair
child delivered an tmpasSoned speech upon
the proposed return to the Southern States
of the flags captured in the late war.
Visitors were present from every Grand
Army Post Of New York and vicinity. The
gathering was a representative one. Among
them were men who had attained a high
rank in the civil war. Post Commander a.
NJ. Underhill presided. Among those p,es-
ent were Senior VicS Commander Lafferty,
Vice Commander Charles Hull Grant, Past
State Commander Hedges Of Haverstraw,
and Corporal Tanler. Gen. Fairchild spoke
under great excitement, and almost his first
ftterance was: MAY GOd palsy the hand
that wrote the order, isay God palsy the
brain that conceived it and may God palsy
the tongue that dictated It,"
BLIND PASSIONS PREJUDICE. IN
After Gen. Fairchilds address resolutions
were adopted that the President Of the
United States, having approved the recon-
mcndation that all the battle flags In the
custody Of the War Department belonging
to the Southern States in the rebellion, dur
ing the late civil war, be returned 10 the re-
spective Stntes which bore them, for such
final disposition as they may determine, this
Post views with surprise the action of tho
President, and records It's protest thereto.
That the sacrifice of blood which captured
the enblems is a sacrifice TO liberty, national
union and to God. That no sentiment OF
generosity and no expression Of mngnaninl-
ity il involved in the surrender Of these cove
neiits of the national honor That IL only
now remains 10 direct that the battle hags
OF the Union be distributed among the rep
icsentatives OF the so-called CeiIfederacy Us
fitting acknowledgement of tfe righteous
ness of the Lost Cause That this Post
expresaes It's disapprobation Of this act Of
TIE first President OF the United States, who
has held Office dIsiassociated from the
memories of the war for the Union.
OTHER PROTESTS RECEIVED.
The telegraph tonight Is bringing pro-
tests from q number Of Northern States,
so,pc Of them through the Governors Of